Plead
by froyozensight
Summary: During the Quartering Act pre-Revolutionary War, Alfred finds his family housing Captain Kirkland and some of his soldiers. What lengths will he have to go to protect his twin sister Allison? unwanted USUK some OC pairings in later chapters  very mild
1. Chapter 1

Number: 05  
Prompt: #16 - Plead  
Summary: During the Quartering Act pre-Revolutionary War, Alfred finds his family housing Captain Kirkland and some of his soldiers. What lengths will he have to go to protect his twin sister Allison?  
Pairings: rape/noncon!USUK  
Rating: M cuz it's not kid friendly. AT ALL D:

Disclaimer: I own my laptop, does that count? *silence* I didn't think so either...

WARNING: Not graphic, but definitely not very nice to teenage Alfred.

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If there was one thing Alfred F. Jones hated, it was the English soldiers taking over his city. Perhaps the only thing he hated more was the damnable Quartering Act that King George III decreed recently.

It was New York City towards the end of the year 1765. Winter was just fully hitting the New York Colony, and the Hudson Bay was currently iced over with the first winter freeze, successfully halting all ship movement until the weather temporarily warmed back up.

And therefore all the British soldiers who had been stationed in the city were stuck there for at least a fortnight until they could either make their way to a warmer port or until the ice cleared and ships could come into the bay once again.

This meant that being one of the higher class families in the city, the Jones were currently housing Captain Arthur Kirkland of the King's army and three of his men. A fact that Alfred was most definitely not thrilled about.

"I know you don't like this arrangement, Alfred," said his father, Adam Jones, the day the soldiers first moved into the spare bedrooms on the third floor of their house, "I don't like it much either, but it's either obey the King or be sentenced with treason and imprisoned. I can't take care of you, your mother, and your sister from there, and you're too young to take over the business yet."

"But Dad—!"

"No buts, Alfred. They're here for two weeks before they either leave or change locations. All I want you to do in the meantime is to act civil to them and protect your sister."

Angry young blue eyes met the blue eyes of their origin. "Yes, sir."

Adam Jones ruffled his son's hair before walking into the room where the Captain was sitting with his soldiers. Alfred remained in the hallway for a few minutes to collect himself.

He couldn't remember being this angry before. Not at his father, not at his mother, not even at his twin sister, Allison. In all his seventeen years, he'd never felt this livid, and there was nothing he could do to make the problem go away. His only option was to just put up with it until the soldiers left at the end of two weeks, the longest period colonists had to house British soldiers. Then the last thing his father said struck home with him.

_Protect your sister._

Alfred narrowed his eyes, his fists already clenched tight. The mere thought of what those soldiers might try to do to his sister just stoked the flame of his burning hatred for the English. Those brutes weren't going to go near Allison without hearing from him.

"Alfred, come in here boy!" Alfred flinched at the British lilt with which his name was spoken, and he reluctantly walked into the room his father had gone into.

The British captain was sitting in the chair that was normally reserved for his father, but Adam Jones had resigned himself to sitting off to the side in a wooden chair instead of the comfortable padded one imported from France that the Captain was using. His mother, Abigail, and Allison were sitting on the loveseat perpendicular to Captain Kirkland, with the three foot soldiers standing in a line behind their commanding officer.

"There you are boy! Don't you know it's rude to keep company waiting?" Alfred raised his eyes to meet the haughty green ones of Captain Kirkland. It took everything he had to bow his head slightly instead of turning and just walking out of the room again.

"My apologies, sir. I…won't let it happen again."

A tense silence prevailed over the parlor until suddenly the Captain broke into laughter, only to be followed by his soldiers and a few awkward chuckles from Alfred's parents. Alfred and his sister remained silent as they waited for everyone else to stop.

"You have a strong-willed boy there, Mr. Jones! He'll be a fine addition to the King's army in a couple years!" Though addressing Adam, Kirkland locked eyes with Alfred, who stared back defiantly.

"Thank you, sir. That is high praise indeed."

"No thanks needed when one speaks the truth." Captain Kirkland grinned a little at Alfred, and that was enough to make the teen divert his eyes so that perhaps the soldier wouldn't see the hatred hiding in them. It made him ache to know he had technically forfeited that small battle of will. "It's getting late. The boys and I would like to go up to our rooms now."

"Allison will show you up to your rooms," offered Abigail, smiling softly as she nudged her daughter to stand up. Alfred stiffened at this, and from where he stood he could see his father do the same.

This was a mistake.

But there was nothing anyone could do as Allison nervously stood up and smiled at Captain Kirkland before leading the way upstairs. The moment they were gone, Adam turned to Abigail, a scowl deeply set on his face.

"Why didn't you have Alfred do it?" he asked harshly.

"I'm sorry, Adam! It was a force of habit!" Abigail herself regretted her words already, and looked to be on the verge of tears having sent her daughter to be alone with four grown men, no matter how short the time. Adam sighed, and went over to his wife and put a calming hand on her shoulder, which she grabbed with her own hand.

"Alfred, go up and make sure everything is okay."

He didn't need to be told by his dad twice.

* * *

The soldiers were staying on the third floor, and the family lived on the second. The third had been commissioned strictly for any guests or relatives they might have over for holidays or otherwise. However, despite the floor difference, Allison's door was right off the stairs, with Alfred's being the next closest. Their parent's was all the way down at the end of the hall.

When Alfred came up the stairs, Allison was just coming down from the third floor, and was heading to her room.

"Alli!" She turned to face him, and his face hardened at the impending tears in her eyes. "What did they do to you?"

Shaking her head, she backed up against her door. "They didn't do anything, Al. I'm fine."

"Alli."

Their identical sky blue eyes met, and Allison ran to hug her brother.

"T-They were incredibly crass the moment we left the parlor. Only the Captain still remained gentleman-like, but he still laughed at his men's jokes, and it was horrible!"

Alfred rubbed circles into her back, glaring holes into the wall behind her. His father told him to be civil, but he also told him to protect his sister. They had only just arrived so maybe they would act better later, but deep down he doubted it.

Hearing a muffled snort, Alfred looked up to see Captain Kirkland looking down at them, a giant smirk on his face. They exchanged nothing but looks.

'_I'm going to get her, boy.'_

'_Not if I can help it.'_

All the while Allison cried into her brother's shoulder, unaware of the battle that was literally waging over her.

* * *

The first week went by, and Alfred was amazed that nothing had happened yet. The soldiers acted like the perfect gentlemen, but whenever their parents weren't around, everything changed. Allison was beginning to have nightmares about the things that could happen. Al heard them from his room, and was surprised his parents didn't. He often had to go into her room and quiet her so that she wouldn't disturb any of the soldiers and give them a real reason to go into her room unescorted.

There had been a few close calls. Like when one of the soldiers strayed just a little too close to Allison, and his touch lingered just a little longer than necessary. Shockingly though, both Alfred and the Captain called the man on it, and made him back off of Allison.

That was when Alfred realized that Captain Kirkland was saving Allison for himself, and there was no way he was about to let that happen.

Lately, the Captain had taken to making Alfred come outside despite the weather when he was making his men go through their routines. Truly, the teen hated and loved this. It grated on his nerves that the man really thought he was going to bother go overseas and become a redcoat, but he was then grateful for the free advice and some training.

It still riled Alfred's blood whenever the Captain talked to his sister.

"It's okay, Al, really. Captain Kirkland is just being…nice." Alfred gave Allison a disbelieving stare, and she turned away from him. They both knew differently, and though their parents were beginning to think they really had nothing to worry about, they knew that the trouble had yet to even begin.

The night that the Captain walked Allison to her room after supper, Alfred knew he had to do something if he was to keep the virtue of his sister because he sure as hell wasn't about to have her marry that bastard.

* * *

As he lay in his sister's bed that night, Alfred still wasn't sure if this was the right way to go about this, but it was the only plan he could come up with and he needed one tonight. It had been painfully obvious earlier that the Captain planned on visiting his sister, alone and after hours, therefore Alfred had hatched a plan: He would switch rooms with his sister for the night and either make the Captain give up on his sister or…

Alfred refrained from finishing the end of his plan, even to himself. It was embarrassing and sinful to think about, but if it would keep Allison safe, he would do it. He had made a promise, and by God, he'd keep it.

Suddenly the door creaked open, and there were muffled footsteps to the foot of the bed. Alfred remained still and tried to continue his pretend sleep, but that became incredibly difficult when he felt the Captain slide into the bed next to him and wrap his arms around his waist.

"Nice of you to meet me here, Alfred," whispered Kirkland into his ear huskily, making Alfred's heart go cold.

Had he been found out so quickly? But how? And why was the Captain still here if he knew it was Alfred in here and not Allison…?

He got probably the quickest answer to his questions when the Captain pressed his body up against Alfred's backside and he felt a distinct poke. A shudder rippled throughout his body as the realization of the situation hit him.

"Y-You were never after Allison, were you?"

Licking the shell of Alfred's ear, Kirkland replied, "Not for a second, _Alfred_."

A small, unwanted gasp left Alfred's lips and he clamped his hands over his mouth to ward future ones off. He could practically feel Kirkland's smirk as the man bit at his neck, undoubtedly leaving marks that would be hard to lie about in the morning.

"W-Why?" choked out the teenager. He felt like crying; just lying next to this man made him feel filthy.

One of the Captain's hands was slithering its way under his nightshirt and was beginning to tickle the skin of his stomach with its fingertips. Alfred felt like throwing up at being touched that way.

"There are more of us like this than you'd think, Alfred; we've just gotten good at blending in. Now, please," Kirkland broke off as he allowed his other hand to reach down and grab Alfred's groin, making the boy jump, "How about we stop talking?"

Alfred let out a whimper, but that did nothing to deter the Captain. In fact, the teen was almost positive it egged him onward.

There was nothing he could do as the grown man pulled his shirt over his head for him. He just remained motionless as he let the Captain disrobe him of the only thing keeping him safe. The only reaction he showed was to cower a little and shut his eyes when the Captain took off his clothes.

He was beginning to think he could get away with keeping his eyes shut the whole time until Kirkland slapped his face and growled, "Open your eyes, boy."

The moment Alfred did, he just wanted to close them again. Because there before him was Kirkland, crouching over him like a predator, which he was. Then, without warning, Kirkland closed the space between them and began kissing Alfred, not caring how enthusiastic the boy was. Alfred was so caught off guard that his mouth had been opened slightly, and he hoped that the soldier could taste the bit of bile that rose in his throat when he realized that he had one too many tongues in his mouth.

Thankfully, the Captain didn't hold the kiss for long; it didn't seem to be what he came there for anyway.

So the Englishman began molesting his body. He nipped and licked the boy's throat and chest, playing with his nipples just to try and earn little noises from Alfred.

It made Alfred sick that he succeeded.

He didn't understand. He hated this man. He hated what he was doing to him. He hated this.

But he sounded like he was enjoying it, and he hated that most of all.

By the time the Captain had finished going over every inch of Alfred's body, the boy was panting and his body had a fine sheen of sweat. Alfred almost dared to think the man was done, and chided himself for that lone hopeful thought when Kirkland rearranged himself so that he was kneeling over Alfred's chest, the soldier's privates right there in his face.

He tried to shy away, but the man grabbed him by his hair and forced him to face the unwelcome sight.

"Don't do this, and I'll let my men have your sister. Bite me, and I'll let them have her still." Frightened blue eyes met cold green ones. "So the question is, how much do you love your sister?"

Alfred looked away first, and Kirkland smirked. He knew he had won.

It was really hard not to throw up the very instant Kirkland started pushing his penis into Alfred's mouth, but he managed to hold it back—for his sister.

He didn't know what to do when the soldier had stopped moving. His mouth was ungodly full, so he couldn't ask even if he had wanted to. He was mainly just focusing on trying not to let his teeth touch the thing in his mouth when Kirkland leaned down to whisper, "You suck it, Alfred, and you let your tongue play with it."

The teenager winced at how the man said his name, but began to follow his new orders.

His heart clenched the first time Kirkland moaned from his reluctant ministrations. He didn't appreciate that he was made to make those kinds of noises and hated it, but Kirkland could make them and feel completely guilt-free.

A slight rhythm had been worked out. Alfred would lick the tip, with alternating sucks, and Kirkland would just moan whenever something felt particularly good. The boy had just tried to pull away slightly, so he wasn't so full, when he felt his teeth accidently graze the bottom of the Captain's member. He was about to try and apologize profusely, it truly had been an accident, but Kirkland had just grabbed his head and pushed himself back in all the way.

Suddenly, Alfred's mouth was fuller than he thought was even humanly possible. As Captain Kirkland slowly pulled out, a satisfied grin on his face, a sticky liquid flowed out of Alfred's mouth. He tried to swallow some and choked a little when it started going down the wrong way because he was trying to catch his breath at the same time.

Kirkland laughed quietly at him as he dressed himself again, and got out of the bed.

Glaring up at him, Alfred gained enough of his stubborn self to ask, "Are we done then?"

Their eyes met in battle for the third time as Kirkland walked over to Alfred again and grabbed the boy's naked groin, showing Al that during his sexual torture, he had actually become aroused himself. Once again, Alfred had to look away when the man squeezed his half-erect penis, conceding the man's victory again.

"Oh, most certainly not, young Master Jones," began Kirkland, whispering into Alfred's ear as he played with him just a little bit more, "This is only the beginning."

Captain Kirkland stayed just long enough to get Alfred off, and then left the room after wiping his hand on Alfred's clothes.

The moment the door shut, Alfred leaned over the side of the bed and vomited all the unwanted substances out of his stomach. The whole time just thinking one thing:

Who would protect _him_ from Captain Kirkland?

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A/N: So that was part one of two or three. Depends on how I end part two (which is mostly done!).

I've had this idea since we briefly talked about the Revolutionary War in my History class weeks ago. It just popped into my head, and I really wanted to write it, but I've put it off until I updated Tortuga a bit. I should probably start on ch. 8...

BEEEEEHHHHHH.

Reviews...well, they can't save Alfred, but maybe they'll make him feel better...

Yeah, I don't believe me either, just review, please?


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own my laptop, does that count? *silence* I didn't think so either...

WARNING: Not graphic, but definitely not very nice to teenage Alfred.

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It was incredibly hard to explain the mess he'd had inadvertently caused in his sister's room, but luckily for him, Allison ordered her maid to silence. Seeing the tears in her mistress's eyes, the maid knew that something bad was happening and she needed to stay out of it as well as she could.

Allison helped Alfred get ready that morning instead of his usual manservant, whose touch he had automatically shied away from. That servant too was dismissed by Allison without questions asked.

Breakfast went like always except that Alfred's silence had a different tone to it. He was not quiet out of anger, but of fear. Captain Kirkland seemed to think nothing of it, and calmly asked if Alfred would like to go out and train with the men again. Not wanting to give his parents a reason to worry, Alfred forced a smile onto his face and accepted the offer.

He felt like throwing up again.

* * *

Captain Kirkland didn't try anything while out with his men. He had an image to uphold after all, and Alfred kept thinking back to what the man had said:

"_There are more of us like this than you'd think, Alfred; we've just gotten good at blending in."_

It made Alfred question every man around him. Were some of the men he'd known his whole life like the Captain, simply hiding and pretending to be normal? It would make sense. He'd always questioned that Frenchman who had moved in next door a year ago. Sure, women were always going in and out of his doors, but there had been a few male visitors late at night, Alfred was sure.

Worst of all, he was beginning to question himself. He had enjoyed the horrible things that the Briton had done to him. That much had been proven when the man had gotten him off before leaving. Was this just how it worked, or was Alfred like the Captain?

Being distracted by his thoughts caused him to mess up on routines he'd learned previously, and eventually, Kirkland pulled him roughly to the side.

"If you keep up this dazed act boy, people really are going to catch on that something is wrong with you, so you should stop while your sister still has her virtue!" hissed the man, his eyes betraying the anger that he couldn't let overtake his voice.

All Alfred could managed was a soft, "Yes, sir," before returning to the routines.

* * *

That night the Captain came again, but this time, Alfred hadn't bothered to switch rooms with his sister. He didn't see the point when he knew what the soldier really wanted.

Kirkland didn't seem to care that much about their arrangements either because he slid into the bed next to Alfred just as he had the night before, except he had shed his clothes before getting in.

"Ready for the next volley, Alfred?" the Englishman murmured faux-sweetly into the boy's ear, making him shiver in apprehension.

Nights have never seemed so long.

* * *

A few days passed like this. The Captain would visit. Alfred would get him off. He got Alfred off. Alfred threw up. Awkward breakfast. Training. Lunch. Alfred sat with Allison. Dinner. Repeat.

Alfred had taken to eating less. He didn't see the point when he knew he would just throw up later. Besides, everything was starting to taste like the Englishman, and that in turn just made him sick.

He could tell that Allison was worried about him. His parents seemed to be noticing more and more that something was up, but he always brushed off their questions about his wellbeing.

The Captain was always in the room, so it wasn't like he could tell them the truth anyway.

He began to not only count the days, but the hours, the minutes, to when the Captain and his men would be leaving. He couldn't wait for the very moment they were gone so that he could finally break down and give into his anger, his self-pity, his fear.

The only things he was grateful for was that the Captain had kept his word and was leaving Allison alone, and that he hadn't fully violated Alfred yet.

But that all changed the night before the soldiers were scheduled to leave.

* * *

Alfred had gotten to the point where he just went to bed naked. It was less demeaning than having the Briton strip him every night, and he felt like it gave him a choice whether to get nude or not. Even though he knew, deep down, that he'd never had a choice.

That night being the last night, it felt different than all the ones before. Alfred was more at peace with himself because he knew after this one last 'performance' he'd be able to slowly become himself again. He wasn't sure if he'd ever trust his fellow man again, but he could damn well try.

When Kirkland came in and lay down, Alfred actually turned to face him in the bed. This seemed to shock, yet please the Englishman. The Captain searched a reason for this new confrontation in Alfred's eyes, and grinned at what he saw.

"You're going to fully cooperate this time because I'm leaving tomorrow, is that it?" Alfred just kept staring at him dully, his heart heavy with his choice. Kirkland merely smirked and leaned forward and kissed the boy roughly.

It took a great amount of will to push back into the kiss instead of pulling away like he was used to doing. As a lone act of rebellion, Alfred bit the man's lower lip a little, but that just seemed to turn the man on more so he stopped abruptly.

For the first time since this nightmare began, Kirkland allowed Alfred to be on top, which could only mean that instead of the Captain lavishing the boy with unwanted attentions, Alfred had to lavish him with much wanted attentions.

Alfred had to close his eyes and steady his breathing before he could even lower his head to the man's neck and begin. He knew what to do now; he'd been the recipient of it all too many times the past week to not know.

He apparently was doing it all right because the Captain was grabbing his hair like he usually did when he was sucking on him, and that was usually his favorite part.

The boy was about to go ahead and take Kirkland's member into his mouth, but the man stopped him, his breathing heavy.

"N-No, tonight I have something special planned."

The colonial boy felt his face pale at the malicious grin on the Briton's face.

He didn't fight as he was forced back onto his back. He couldn't have—he was too stunned. It was reflex now that he automatically started sucking when Kirkland placed a couple of his fingers into his mouth. When they were removed, he tried hard not to focus on where they were going and on relaxing instead.

A strangled cry still left his mouth the moment he felt those very same fingers being inserted into him. He threw his head back, grabbing at the sheets around him.

The man chuckled at Alfred's reaction and moved onwards with his fingers.

Pain continued to shoot through him. This was not natural. Things were supposed to leave that place, not go back in. Alfred had just gotten used to the two fingers when a third was in, though the adjustment didn't take as long.

Finally the fingers were removed altogether, and Alfred prepared himself for the worst pain imaginable. If he could judge anything by how the Englishman filled up his mouth, he was afraid to think about how it was going to fit into something that needed to be _stretched_ before usage.

The only warning Alfred received was a low grunt from the Captain.

Alfred would've screamed in pain if he hadn't remembered the proximity of his family. He only just managed to stifle his scream into more of a soft cry, his eyes watering profusely.

As Kirkland moved in and out, the thrusts slowly getting harder and faster, Alfred at first thought that this was the real torture. The pain was excruciating every time the Englishman moved, and Alfred almost hoped it would keep on.

But he couldn't be that lucky.

After a while, the pain began to subside and the pleasure rose dramatically when Kirkland slammed into him a certain way and he let out a hideously loud groan.

Captain Kirkland from then on, managed to hit the same spot again, and again, and though he was crying, Alfred continued to reward the soldier with sounds of pleasure.

Alfred wanted the pain back.

His climax racked his body harder than it ever had before, and it was an odd feeling to gain release before the soldier. It was even odder to feel full not in his mouth when the Captain was done.

The boy didn't doubt his ability to vomit later though, semen in his stomach or not.

Kirkland leaned down and brought Alfred into a final kiss before pulling himself out, wiping himself clean with the sheets around him. The Captain surprised the colonial boy, however, when he didn't leave right away, and actually wiped Alfred off as well.

Their eyes met, Alfred's afraid and confused at the man's actions, and for the first time, Kirkland looked away before he did, in the only semblance of shame so far.

"You must understand, Alfred," began Kirkland softly, his eyes focused on a spot on the wall, his hands fiddling with the bit of blanket he was holding, "I don't take real pleasure in molesting you, a mere child, b-but…In this world, it is not acceptable to dislike women in a sexual manner; I doubt it ever truly will be."

Alfred continued to stare at the Briton in confusion, but eventually he found his voice.

"What do you mean by this? You certainly seemed to enjoy everything, far more than I did in any case." It gave Alfred a small amount of pride that he was able to work some bitterness into his last words, and that extra bit of hostile tone made Kirkland flinch a little.

"I…I saw an opportunity, and I took it." The Captain met Alfred's eyes once more. "I'm sorry for the trauma I've caused you, but I'm not sorry for what I'm about to do."

The soldier kissed Alfred's forehead in a foreign gesture of kindness and left without another word.

Torn between anger and curiosity at the mystery behind the man's words, Alfred stayed as he was on his bed.

That is, until he heard movements in the room next door.

Allison's room.

Blue eyes clouded with rage and hurt, and Alfred didn't even bother to clothe himself as he stormed into his sister's room without even trying to announce himself.

Forever, Alfred knew he would remember the sound Allison made when she saw him standing there in the light of the hallway—that strangled cry of despair.

Forever, Alfred knew he would be able to see the determination in Captain Kirkland's green eyes as he raped his beloved twin sister.

Forever, Alfred now knew, he would be tied to that wretched man, who stole his innocence and his sister's virtue.

Forever, Alfred F. Jones knew he would hate Captain Arthur Kirkland.

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A/N: So this story is definitely 3 parts. And part three is done and everything, but I think I'm gonna wait just a little bit before uploading it ;D

It's more of an epilogue anyway. (And I'm afraid it won't live up to y'alls expectations DX )

Anyway...yeeeeaaaahhhhhh ANGST. THIS CHAPTER HAS IT.

I hope this is as good as expected...The last bit won't have any sex, what have ye. Like I said, it's more about the aftermath than anything, and I'm starting to think I didn't quite transition Alfred's feelings properly, and I'm gonna stop so as to not give anything away!

Review and I'll add the last bit sooner~


	3. Chapter 3

Just to get it out there, I love you guys so much. Thanks so much for all the support and reviews and everything. You guys have made this my story with the second-highest amount of reviews! (Or you will once I post this AND YOU REVIEW!)

So I just wanna say thanks. I hope the end is what you want.

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Captain Kirkland stayed long past his subordinates left for England at the "request" of Allison, who had mysteriously fallen in "love" with the Briton.

It seemed neither twin wanted to tell their parents about what had happened to them, though Adam and Abigail seem to at least infer what changed Allison's views about the Captain. It wasn't that hard to figure out, what with her new incredibly meek exterior and the occasional shakiness of her hands.

Alfred felt what was left of his heart break when she jumped at the touch of their own father.

Almost immediately after his men left, Kirkland proposed to Allison, who with tears in her eyes accepted. To any onlooker, she would have looked happy, ecstatic even, at his proposal. Only her family could tell her tears were of fear, of sorrow over what she lost to that man, and was now promising to give him again and again in future years.

Little did she know, it was more likely to be Alfred than her because now the boy could see the soldier's plan in full detail.

The marriage to his sister was just the cover. Having the twin brother live with them to watch over the sister was the real objective.

Alfred was to be the Captain's male mistress.

He didn't have the heart to tell his sister the truth. She would feel guilty, or pity him. Neither a thing he wanted from his twin sister.

Not when he'd failed her so completely.

* * *

Alfred, of course, joined Allison and the Captain, who he was forced to call Arthur now in public, when they journeyed to England after their wedding. _Arthur_ insisted upon it, telling his parents that he was desperately needed for the English army, and that he'd be a fine addition to it.

"_I won't let any harm come to him."_ He'd said to them as they boarded the boat.

It was incredibly hard for Alfred not to burst out in a fit of hateful laughter, but he grinned and thanked his new brother-in-law instead.

Doing that had hurt worse than anything Kirkland had done to him before proposing and marrying his sister.

* * *

The army wasn't that bad.

Alfred actually began to find it cathartic, especially when Kirkland wasn't there with him. It allowed him to filter his pent-up emotions in a more productive way than crying and yelling into his pillows at night, or the few nights he went out drinking to avoid being home when Kirkland, now a general (though always the Captain in Alfred's mind), came home from some important meeting. The nights he couldn't avoid being home, Kirkland always sought him out because Allison never waited up too long for him.

Sometimes Alfred swore she knew about her husband's secret.

* * *

Alfred hadn't been back to the colonies since. Their parents had implored him to go back with them several times during there now frequent visits, but he refused.

He had yet to figure out why, exactly.

Deep down he knew Kirkland wouldn't hurt his sister if he left, even though that was his conscious excuse for staying in England.

He ignored the reasoning his sub-conscious came up with because he didn't want to admit it.

Alfred would sooner kill himself than fully admit that he stayed because he'd grown to actually want to reciprocate the Briton's affections.

It scared him to think that Kirkland seemed to know this too. It slowly became evident in the way he became gentle and more loving to the former colonist the few times Kirkland actually managed to corner him, and in the way that Alfred participated more and more willingly.

Less and less Alfred hated Kirkland, and more and more he hated himself—hated what he had become.

He'd tried being with women. Sure, he could climax with one, but it didn't feel the same releasing inside of them as it did when Kirkland filled him.

Now a young man in the army, Alfred Jones walked around permanently disgusted with himself, though he hid that fact with his cheery disposition.

He did not want for friends, even though he'd never set foot in England before. Often, those nights he spent out drinking, he went home with one of his friends to put off going back to the Kirkland residence.

Alfred amused his friends at his blatant refusal to share a bed during these impromptu sleepovers.

He didn't care as long as he could continue to call them friends instead of showing them that he was actually someone who should be treated as a pariah.

* * *

Allison called Alfred into her study one day. The Kirkland residence was larger than their house in New York City several times over. 'At least our rapist has money,' Alfred remembered thinking when they first moved into the mansion.

"Alfred, are you truly happy here?"

Her sincere question caught Alfred off guard. He sighed, knowing that he should have known that he couldn't avoid the bond he and his sister shared. He hadn't been avoiding her in the near eleven years they'd lived in England, but he hadn't exactly been attentive to her either, not since their initial arrival when they knew no one except the Captain.

"I'm happy enough, Alli; the real question is, are you happy?"

She returned his sigh, a weak smile on her face as she gave her twin an exasperated look.

"Happy enough, Al. Happy enough."

That was the day that Allison revealed the fact she was pregnant at the dinner table right after Kirkland and Alfred casually discussed the latest news of unrest from the colonies.

Both men seemed equally shocked.

Kirkland because he was going to be a father.

Alfred because he has selfishly believed Kirkland had only wanted him.

* * *

That night, Kirkland didn't visit Alfred like he normally would've, and it took a lot to convince himself that he wasn't crying because he was sad Arthur hadn't come, but rather that he was happy he hadn't.

Alfred threw up for the first time in years because he was so sick with himself.

* * *

The baby was born on July 4, 1776.

Alfred really did laugh out loud days later when a copy of the patriots' Declaration began to spread throughout London's newspapers.

It seemed at least his niece could fight back against her father, unlike her mother or uncle.

* * *

Both Kirkland and Alfred were sent to the colonies to fight.

Both of them came back alive, though Alfred doubted his right leg would ever straighten properly again after breaking his leg during a cannon fight.

He knew he was lucky to have his leg at all.

It did satisfy him a little that Kirkland lost an eye in a battle and now wore an eyepatch to cover up the gaping hole in his head.

* * *

On day in the summer of 1783, the whole family was out in the luxurious garden of the Kirkland mansion. Adam and Abigail, who had moved to England after the war, were watching seven-year old Audrey twirl around in circles as she played with her imaginary friends while Allison, Alfred, and Kirkland stood slightly off to the side in quiet, yet meaningful conversation.

"Alfred," Now a man and a Lieutenant-Colonel, he met his twin sister's eyes with a little more confidence than he had the day she announced Audrey's existence. "Are you truly happy here?"

"Alli, dear, what a curious question to ask of Alfred!" Kirkland always called him by his full name, no matter whether they were with Allison or alone.

"It's okay, Artie! It's kind of a secret thing between the two of us." Alfred grinned smarmily at him because he had no problem calling him a stupid nickname in public, but refused to call him such in private. He still refused to admit that he loved more than hated the man.

Kirkland rolled his eyes, but watched Alfred for his answer nonetheless. Al chuckled lightly as he took his sister's hand and kissed it softly, but his eyes were on Arthur as he answered, "Happy enough, and you, Alli?"

Laughing sweetly as she took her hand back, her eyes actually shining with true happiness as she replied, "I'm happy enough as well, Al."

"Well I'm happy too, if my wellbeing counts for anything in this conversation," mumbled Arthur in annoyance, though both of the twins could see the man was secretly pleased that both of his lovers didn't seem to resent him anymore. Allison had mellowed after Audrey's birth and come to love Arthur as much as any woman should love her husband, but she also seemed to accept the special relationship between her husband and her brother. Once she'd even made a joke about Arthur having a twin fetish.

Alfred didn't stop laughing for days, and Arthur had been blushing non-stop.

"It doesn't, but thank you for trying." Alfred said it with such a serious face, that Arthur scowled and was about to retort when Audrey came up behind her uncle and tugged on his sleeve.

"Uncle Al, will you come play with me?" Alfred Jones looked down into his niece's blue-green eyes, her shining blonde hair framing her face, and smiled brightly at her.

"I will indeed, sweetheart! Go bother Grandma and Grandpa while I finish talking to your parents."

"Okay~!" Audrey skipped off and jumped up onto Adam's lap, surprising the older man out of his light doze, causing Abigail and Audrey to laugh.

Turning back to Arthur, Alfred grinned just as warmly at him as he had his niece, which temporarily confused the Englishman.

Alfred continued to grin as he took a hold of his sister's hand again and Arthur's hand. He kissed hers and then his before meeting their eyes full of surprise and curiosity.

"Well my dears, I do believe the lovely Lady Audrey has summoned me, and I dare not think of being late to such an important date!"

Alfred held Arthur's gaze a little longer in a form of apology for being so harsh. Sometimes the bitterness still reined its ugly head.

There was still a lot of rage from those early years yet to be dealt with properly, the army had only dispersed so much.

But it was with a beaming smile that Alfred ran awkwardly over to his niece and picked her up from behind and spun her around, both of them laughing until Alfred lost his balance due to his bum leg and they crashed to the ground together, still laughing hysterically at the silliness of it all.

"Again, Uncle Al, again!"

It was as he pretended to struggle getting up again, insisting that Audrey had to help push him up, that Alfred realized perhaps the biggest epiphany of his entire life:

Sometimes one in order to become someone's hero, you must become someone's victim.

#########################

A/N: Last line credit goes to sakerat! (I may have stolen it, but I give credit where credit is due!)

Is everyone as surprised as I am that this ended happily? I _honestly _thought it would end sad. Believe me, I did.

But when I saw sakerat's line, I KNEW I had to use it, and the only way to use it properly was to have Alfred become a hero to someone, and he'd already felt like he'd failed his sister at that point, so I came up with the idea of Audrey (like the amount of A names in this story? I don't.).

Sure, Alfred isn't really a 'victim' anymore, but in my mind (like I mentioned briefly at the end), Alfred probably still harbors some bitterness towards Arthur, but he just gets past it most of the time. It's become part of his life, so he learned to deal. OBVIOUSLY, things could've turned out quite differently had Arthur not raped Allison, but that's not where I wanted to go. Though it's still a good idea overall.

I tried very hard to be historically accurate, speech/diction and timeline-wise. I'm a history nerd (even though it's not my major?), so being right is important to me.

Anyway, is anyone frustrated by that end? Is it not as awesome as you thought it would be? The reason I didn't upload this right after part two (as I told many of you in replying to reviews), I wanted to ask the opinion of my BFF, but she's notoriously hard to get a hold of sometimes, so I just ended up looking at the story again, trying to find out where it might need little touches of work. It didn't feel right yesterday, but it felt good enough to post today.

I hope you guys agree, seriously. I mean, I write to satisfy my own desires, but it warms me when people enjoy it just as much as I do, so I truly WANT you guys to love it.

I'm sorry the end came so soon. :( But if you like USUK a lot, my main fic is that pairing, and there's a lot more to it than this!

Review, please. I'd really like feedback on this last part because I'm not sure if I ended it the way I should have and I need reassurance or to be told what I can do to make it better.

I LOVE YOU GUYS.


	4. Chapter 4

GUESS WHO'S BACK~ :D

Yup, yup! Here's the epilogue I told people about when I replied to their reviews. Tomorrow I will post my special alternate ending chapter~

Now just read this because it is a monster that DIDN'T WANT TO END.

######################

By the time Audrey was ten, Alfred had taken it upon himself to find his own place. Arthur had assured him that he was welcome to stay in the Kirkland mansion as long as he wanted, he was family after all, but Alfred didn't want to stay. Things were never going to be as they once were, for better or worse.

Starting with Allison's pregnancy, Arthur had become more attentive to his wife, which had not surprised Alfred, and he was glad that the Englishman was taking care of his sister, but it left him feeling hollow. He still loved his sister regardless, and he had also taken to watching out for her up until Audrey's birth.

Then once his niece was born, Arthur visited him again, but not for what he once had. Instead they talked as old colleagues—as brother-in-laws. It slowly killed Alfred to feel undesirable to the one person who had seemingly wanted him forever. Arthur tried to make up for it. Occasionally he would kiss him on the lips, but even these small reminders weren't enough to fill the hole of the former attention once endowed upon him. Kirkland must have noticed because eventually he stopped doing that as well.

The former Captain may have been the colonial boy's first "love," but he was beginning to think that he had to find someone else before he went mad. Alfred still had some feelings for his sister's husband, but he didn't like the idea of Audrey growing up in such a confusing environment. He loved his little niece, and didn't want to do that her.

At first he just talked about it over with Allison, contemplating it. The more he thought about it, and the more Allison seemed to endorse it, the surer Alfred became of his next decision:

He was going to return to America.

The war was over, and despite the fact that the new country hadn't quite gotten it together yet, Alfred felt like he needed to go back to his birthplace during a time of peace. He would take a year of military leave and stay in New York for a while with some of his parents' old friends. Then he would head up to Canada were a cousin of theirs, Matthew Williams, lived, and would stay with him for the remainder of the year.

His parents approved of this idea, as he knew they would, thrilled that Alfred was going back for what they deemed "overdue." Allison's only regret was that she couldn't go with him. She loved her new life in London, but she had confided in her brother during their talks that she missed the vitality and newness of America.

"London is marvelous," she had said, "But America—she was beyond comparison. One feels as if they could do anything there, while this place is filled with rules and traditions."

Arthur wasn't about to leave his wife, who was with child again, and his daughter to go on a journey with his brother-in-law. Besides, he could only think of the things he'd done there, and wouldn't be able to enjoy it like Alfred would. Both of them knew this when Alfred asked if he wished to join him, and even though he knew this venture was to clear his head of Arthur, the younger man had still wished for him to come with him.

Audrey was perhaps the most upset at his departure, but cheered up remarkably when he promised to bring her back a gift.

* * *

The night before he left was actually the first night in months, possibly a year or more, since Arthur had visited him in his room; the ritual had fallen by the wayside as time passed—another factor that had helped Alfred make his decision.

Arthur came in after knocking to find Alfred sitting on his bed, not yet dressed for bed. He walked in and sat next to his brother-in-law, silent for a while before speaking.

"I…don't think I've ever properly thanked you for coming to London all those years ago."

Alfred raised an eyebrow at the man next to him, a condescending grin on his face.

"What would you have done if I'd stayed in New York, Arthur? You've obviously proved that your marriage to my sister was always meant to be more than a cover."

The Captain averted his eyes.

"I-I would've proceeded exactly as if you had joined us, though I imagine Allison would've been far more depressed had you not." The Briton awkwardly met Alfred's eyes, and for a split second he felt like he was back in his bedroom in New York that night everything changed. "I was thrilled you came, Alfred, for myself, and for Allison. It's true, I did over time fall in love with her, something I thought I would never feel for a woman, but when I noticed how shrewd she was, I began noticing other things, and…"

"I suppose you are speaking of when she discovered our little affairs."

Kirkland nodded, his eyes focusing on his hands again.

"S-She said she didn't care about…us, as long as it was what you wanted. Her blatant acceptance dumbfounded me. Never had I known a woman who wasn't offended to know I preferred men over them, and then unwittingly I married one!" Arthur squeezed his hands together tightly before looking back up at the younger man. "Don't misunderstand me, Alfred. I still have feelings for you, I doubt that will ever change, but I just wanted to tell you that I do think it's best you find someone who cares about you as I do your sister. I…I've forced my ways onto you for far too long…"

"Damn right you have, Kirkland," replied Alfred with a small smile.

Kirkland smiled weakly back at Alfred.

"I'm truly sorry for what I've done to you. Sorry, n-not regretful. By doing what I did, I found a woman that I dearly love, and I…I thank you for that."

"You're a disgusting man, Arthur Kirkland." Arthur winced at the cold tone in Alfred's voice, but remained where he was. He knew this speech was a long time in the making, and part of him had been hoping it would come sooner. "You rape me saying you'll leave my sister alone, and then rape her to try and keep me close—not even knowing if that plan will work or not. Then, when you finally have me all to yourself, you go and fall in love with my sister, leaving me alone just when I had began to reciprocate your feelings. What kind of man are you to slaughter any dreams I had and alter my future into becoming exactly like you?

"I will not deny that I love you, Arthur—never will I lie to myself, but that does not mean I have wholly forgiven you for what you did. I know Allison has, but that is because you gave her a daughter, something to love. Plus she had only that one night of horror compared to my week. Truthfully, I hope you never forgive yourself, _Captain_."

They sat in silence for a while before Arthur stood up and mumbled, "I wish you well on your trip. I suppose it's for the best neither Allison nor I are accompanying you. It seems you need your space."

Alfred watched him walk away for a couple seconds, his eyes shut tight as he battled within himself between the hatred he felt for what this man had done to him and the love he had come to feel. Clenching his fists so tightly he was sure he would make himself bleed, he called out, "A-Arthur…wait…"

The Briton stopped walking and turned back to his former lover, who had remained sitting on his bed.

"T-Thank you, though…you know, for not kicking me out even when you had every right since way before Audrey's birth."

Arthur's expression softened as he walked back over to Alfred and stood beside him.

"It was the least I could do, Alfred."

He kissed Alfred's head gently, his lips lingering—the romantic gesture almost foreign since it'd been so long.

"Goodnight, Arthur," whispered Alfred as the Englishman made his way out of the room once again.

"Goodnight, Alfred. I really do hope you find what you're looking for while you visit Mr. Williams."

Alfred gave a small smile, "As do I, Artie…as do I…"

* * *

The goodbyes at the dock were difficult, especially to Audrey, who was incredibly reluctant to see her beloved uncle go away—even knowing he'd be back. Alfred just kissed her forehead and reminded her of her eventual gift. He then hugged everyone farewell, lingering perhaps a little longer on Arthur than he should have in public, but he ceased to care in that moment.

"Here's to finally getting to live my life, Captain," he mumbled into the Englishman's ear, loudly laughing himself as he let go to cover up the fact that the older man may or may not have let out a dry sob. It was impossible to tell because when Alfred looked back at his brother-in-law, he was just grinning slightly as if nothing had just happened.

Alfred merely grinned back as he waved them all goodbye as he walked up the plank and onto the boat that would take him to New York City.

* * *

The whole trip across the wide ocean, Alfred couldn't help but breath in gratuitous amounts of the salty sea air. It smelled like freedom—a freedom he'd never quite had gotten the chance to experience. He had thought he'd feel miserable the moment he left, but he felt elated. All the days he had thought he was happy back in London he realized was just himself content telling himself he was happy.

He did miss Allison and Audrey slightly, but not Arthur. Smiling as the sun shone down on the ship and the wind blew into the sails, Alfred hoped that he would never miss Arthur. At the least, miss him only as a friend—as a brother-in-law.

* * *

The two weeks he spent in New York revived him completely to himself as he remembered before he even knew a Captain Kirkland existed. Part of him almost wanted to return straightaway to remind his family of his old self, but it would have been too soon. He still hadn't done what he came to do; he couldn't return until he had, even if it took him past his year of leave.

It had been slightly nerve-wracking thinking up excuses for why he went with his sister to England with her new husband, but he managed. Once that had been done that, he busied himself with meeting up with old acquaintances, finding out what happened to those he didn't see, and flirting with every woman he saw. It wasn't that he felt as if he couldn't love another man after Arthur—he just didn't want to. Loving Arthur hadn't been what he'd wanted to begin with, so why do it again?

He was almost reluctant himself to go up to Canada with his cousin when he showed up. New York seemed to have so much to still offer—it had grown so much since he'd last seen it.

His cousin, Matthew, had chuckled softly when Alfred bluntly told him this, and just said, "You're staying a year, Alfred. I think you'll have time to make periodic visits to New York."

Alfred grinned widely at his cousin, who was just as timid and soft-spoken as he remembered him to be from when they were kids. Everyone had always sworn they were twins in everything but personality, and they did look remarkably familiar. The only way to really tell them apart was for them to talk—you'd only be able to hear Alfred.

"Good point, Matt! Lead the way to Canada!"

Matthew smiled at his cousin, only the slightest bit of exasperation in his expression. Mainly, he was glad. From the letters he had received from his aunt and uncle, he had been sure Alfred would've been the quieter, more withdrawn man they had described. However, the man before him was the same little boy he remembered getting in trouble with during the family reunion when they had been ten. The Canadian was sure he would regret taking in his rambunctious cousin later, but for the moment, he was simply happy.

* * *

Pretty soon, Alfred found he had been wrong to not want to continue on to Canada with Matthew. The whole journey to Quebec, where his cousin lived, colonial born American couldn't help but be amazed at how beautiful everything was. He was actually excited when Matthew told him softly that he didn't actually live within the city, but on the outskirts.

"All the easier to cause a commotion and get away with it, Matt!" exclaimed Alfred as he clapped his cousin on the back, walking into his cousin's house as if he'd been there a million times. Matthew was about to call out to him to come back when he heard Alfred start shouting obscenities. Sighing in exasperation and apprehension, Matthew walked into his house to see that his cousin had been assaulted by his best friend.

"Alfred meet Francis Bonnefoy—my best friend. Francis meet Alfred Jones—my cousin."

Alfred stopped flailing long enough to look at his "attacker" to realize that he actually knew this man, and that was why the man had greeted him thusly.

"Mr. Bonnefoy?" shouted Alfred, recognizing the Frenchman who had been his neighbor in New York before leaving for England.

"_Oui, Monsieur_ Alfred! It has been so long since you and your sister left for _Angleterre_. I am glad you even recognized me! We truly were only introduced a handful of times." Francis spoke with a sort of elegant style, even though by his stubble he had definitely been out in the rural area for a while.

Matthew raised an eyebrow at the two of them, "You two _know_ each other?"

"Mr. Bonnefoy was my neighbor in New York." Alfred, suddenly remembering the infamous rumor about Francis's _preferences_, turned to his cousin, eyes narrowing. "How do you two know each other?"

"Ah, that is easy! During the war, the British were none too happy about having a Frenchman living in the area, so I moved up here. I was wondering around for a place to stay, when dear Mathieu here saw me wandering around and offered me a place to stay! As they say, _le reste appartient à l'histoire_!"

Alfred stared dumbly at him before deciding he didn't care enough to ask for a translation.

"Really we ran into each other on the train. I was coming back from a trip to New York myself, and he happened to hear me speak French on the train—"

Francis cut Matthew off to stage whisper, "He said a not very nice word when a lady stepped on his foot as she walked past him."

Matthew swatted at his friend before finishing, "Francis struck up a conversation and it came up that he didn't have a place to stay. My parents had long since moved further into town, so I told him he could stay with me until he found some place of his own."

Slinging an arm around Matthew, Francis declared happily, "Turns out, my place was with Mathieu!"

The American raised man found himself rolling his eyes along with his cousin. The Frenchman didn't seem to have any inclinations in person of what had seemed obvious from afar. Giving himself something like a mental shrug, Alfred guessed that's why one shouldn't make assumptions about people they didn't know.

As he watched Matthew argue with Francis over who was cooking dinner, Alfred also guessed he wouldn't have treated the Frenchman any different had the rumors been true. He was just glad he was in an entirely new place to make completely new memories without the ghost of Kirkland to follow him about. Alfred startled the two French speakers when he suddenly burst into laughter, but without even knowing the cause they joined him.

New York had been great, but for the first time in years, Alfred actually felt like he was in a place he could learn to call home.

* * *

It only a couple days before Alfred first saw her.

He and Matthew had been outside checking on the vegetables his Canadian cousin was growing out there before winter came when she came riding up on a horse, flanked by just a relatively large dog.

"Wapsq!" shouted the woman, a big grin on her face as she stopped her horse a ways down, and jumped off without tying it up. It was as she was running over that Alfred noticed she didn't seem to have anything resembling a saddle…

Matthew smiled widely back at her, pushing the vegetables he was holding into Alfred's hands as he walked briskly to meet the woman and catch her in a hug. "Cilahcili! It's been so long since I've seen you!"

"Indeed it has, Wapsq! Mihku and I had been hoping we would be able to take you hunting before the cold weather set it. Naturally, Francis may come if he likes, but—" She stopped talking after the two had separated when she realized that Matthew wasn't alone outside in his garden. Her expression became more closed off as she watched Alfred closely, as if trying to tell if he was a threat or not. "Wapsq, who is this stranger?"

"He's my cousin, Alfred. He's going to be staying with me for a while."

She nodded and her bright expression returned upon learning that Alfred was simply visiting family, regardless of the length of the visit.

"I am Cilahcili. You are also welcome to join Matthew and me on a hunt if you would like."

Alfred could only bow his head slightly in recognition of her offer, and even then he didn't want to take his eyes off her. She seemed to think of him as incompetent and easily focused completely on Matthew as she began to tell him of her summer exploits.

Cilahcili was perhaps the most beautiful woman he could remember seeing. Maybe it was the "exotic" factor because he could tell that she was definitely not a normal European settler, but regardless—she was stunning to him. Her black hair only came to her shoulders, but it swirled about in the wind making her constantly brush it back behind her ears. Coal black eyes were focused on his cousin as if he was the most fascinating thing she'd ever seen. She laughed at something Matthew said, and Alfred couldn't help the pang of jealousy he felt.

Of course the one woman he could see himself falling in love with was already taken.

"Alfred, are you listening?"

Shaking his head clear of unhelpful thoughts, he met Matthew's gaze. "Huh?"

The woman laughed, and Matthew just chuckled as he repeated, "I had asked when you wanted to go hunting with Cilahcili."

"Oh, um…any time is fine with me I guess."

"Good. We go tomorrow morning. Farewell, Wapsq, Alfred!"

As they watched her get back onto her horse and ride away, the dog keeping pace as it was before, Alfred could only stare dumbly at her before Matthew's snickers brought his eyes back to his cousin.

"Have something of a crush, Alfred?" teased Matthew as he took back the vegetables he'd given to his cousin and went inside the house.

Alfred followed, a small frown on his face, "What does it matter even if I do? You're courting her, are you not?"

Matthew paused long enough to look back at Alfred to make sure he was serious before he started laughing again, not stopping until he'd set his armful of vegetables in the kitchen so Francis could wash them when he got back from town. Frown deepening, Alfred copied his cousin's actions, glaring at him the entire time.

"Ahaha, Cilahcili and I are not _courting_. She's like my sister! I grew up with her," explained Matthew, a careful smile on his face. He saw that Alfred was annoyed and was trying to calm him down with good news.

Still skeptical, Alfred asked, "Then why was she calling you that weird name?"

"Wapsq? Oh, that's just the Maliseet name she gave me. She says it means polar bear."

"…will I get a…Maliseet name?"

"She'll probably give you one after she assesses your skills tomorrow, which by the way, thank you for signing us up for hunting at the crack of dawn."

"But she said tomorrow morning!"

"Yeah, nice little fact about Cilahcili—she wakes up before dawn every morning."

"Why would anyone do that?"

Wandering into the kitchen from his bedroom, Francis inquired, "Talking about our little Maliseet friend, are we?"

"Yes. Alfred and I are going hunting with her tomorrow morning."

Francis seemed to wince, and that did not make Alfred feel better.

"Ah, _bonne chance_, Alfred. I doubt I will ever try that particular activity again with our dear Cilahcili. Once was quite enough."

Alfred was definitely feeling less and less optimisitic about his decision to join the hunting party. He could only console himself with the fact that it would give him a chance to be with Cilahcili and learn more about her.

* * *

When Matthew went into Alfred's room the next morning, he really had been expecting his cousin to still be sleeping soundly in his bed. Not already getting his things ready for the hunt.

Alfred looked up when he heard the Canadian enter and grinned widely, "Good morning, Matt! Haha, I'll take it by your expression that you are a little surprised I'm up."

"More than a little, Al. I didn't know you were capable of getting up before dawn on your own."

"Haha, I didn't work my way up to Captain in the King's army by sleeping in, Matt!" Matthew caught the slight depression in Alfred's face at the mention of his career, but chose not to inquire about it. It didn't seem to be appropriate at the time.

"Sorry, I guess I'm just used to my cousin from the older days who couldn't get up before midday without the bribe of breakfast!" joked Matthew as he easily ignored the topic, knowing Alfred will tell him if he wanted.

The American "turned" Briton grinned at his cousin, thankful that they were as close as they were. They had mind as well be brothers. Alfred playfully shoved Matthew as he stood up, laughing.

"Yeah, well, I'm still reeling from the fact that my timid cousin enjoys hunting!"

Matthew was about to retort when the sound of hoofs blocked anything he was about to say.

"Wapsq! Are you and your cousin ready?" came Cilahcili's voice as she shouted loudly so that they could hear her.

Grinning, Matthew shouted back as he watched Alfred's now nervous face, "We'll be out soon, Cilahcili!"

Shoving Alfred back a little, Matthew gestured with his head that his cousin needed to pick up his stuff.

"Let's go, Al. The lady awaits."

"Shut up, Matt," grumbled Alfred, a small blush on his face that his cousin was so easily calling him out on his fast-forming crush.

"Haha, just don't make a fool of yourself, Al. She'll never let it go."

Alfred sighed, "How comforting…"

"Don't mention it."

The former colonial hoped that, if anything, he would manage to shoot and kill something in case he did slip up.

* * *

They had been traveling down the trail on their horses for maybe an hour, most of it in silence, and even when it wasn't quiet, Alfred found himself not saying a word. Matthew kept glancing back at him, telling him with his odd purple eyes that he better start talking or he would never stand a chance with Cilahcili.

Sighing softly, Alfred just looked around at the scenery, taking in the landscape they were riding through. He had just realized that the sun was almost completely up when he also noticed that Cilahcili's enormous dog was off in the field, watching him.

"I've noticed that your canine companion is bigger than most dogs I've come across. What breed is he?" Alfred was eyeing the dog warily, something about it screamed that it was there by its own accord, not because it had been ordered to.

Cilahcili grinned as she looked over her shoulder at Alfred, "I believe he is, as you English say, a wolf."

"I'm not English. I was born in America," stated Alfred firmly, accepting the information about the canine with ease—it made sense after all, and explained the whole wild aura about the animal. Alfred wasn't, however, let the jibe about his nationality slide, pretty woman or not.

Her eyebrows seem to raise at his choice of what to question, but she continued to grin at him. "Well, I am sorry, Mr. American. I assumed you were an Englishman because of your high-manner of talk. Most Americans I have met are not so well-spoken ."

Alfred laughed lightly, noting she had a point. "I suppose you are right. I've spent the past ten years or better in England, so I can forgive the mistake. I probably would make the same one myself."

This seemed to intrigue her, and she slowed her horse so that she was trotting next to him, leaving Matthew to go in front. He knew where they were going anyway.

"Why were you in England if you are so proud of your heritage?"

If there was one topic he hadn't wanted to broach with her, this was it, but there they were. Alfred screwed up his face in thought before answering her.

"I left before the War to keep my sister company as she got used to her new husband, a British Captain. I joined the army while there, and have only been back on the continent to fight my own people."

She fixed him with a thoughtful gaze, taking in what he said before nodding. "I will accept that answer for now, Cihpolakon, but I hope that you will eventually be able to tell me the truth." Their eyes met as she added, "There is too much pain in your eyes for the simplicity of your answer."

Alfred couldn't help but watch her in amazement as she sped back up to ride beside Matthew once again. His cousin glanced back at him as if to make sure he was okay, but Alfred avoided his cousin's eyes as he just focused on her back.

Deep down, he was beginning to understand what Arthur felt for Allison. It wasn't just love; it was also a sense of trust—finding someone to confide in.

* * *

The whole day was spent hunting. They managed to kill two deer, three rabbits, and two pheasants, Alfred was pleased to say that he had gotten one of the deer and at least a pheasant. Cilahcili had praised him heavily for his apparent natural aim and his ability to stay quiet when they were approaching the prey.

The first time she praised him, it caught him completely off guard. He had only been moving silently as he had done during some of his training, even though they had mostly just practiced the idiotic formations. Alfred had even once had an argument about the relevancy or usefulness of them with Arthur once—an argument Alfred gave up on. (The fact that Arthur may have started kissing him angrily might or might not have been a factor in his forfeit.)

The American had had to shake his head when Mihku, the wolf, had growled lowly to remind him he needed to express his thanks at the praise. It frustrated Alfred that almost every little thing about her managed to bring up something that made him think about England, and subsequently, Arthur. There was really nothing about her that reminded him of Arthur with the small exception of how he felt. Alfred knew it was ridiculous to say it when he'd only known her not even a day, but he just _knew_ that he loved her.

A similar experience happened again when he had shot the first deer they had come across.

Cilahcili had cried out, in what Alfred hoped was happiness, and said, "Well done, Cihpolakon! This is a nice catch!"

He just watched her, momentarily forgetting that Matthew was with them.

"What does that mean, that word you keep calling me?"

She smiled up at him as she patted Mihku on the head, the wolf panting happily at the attention. Alfred could've sworn he stopped breathing, and vowed to make her smile more often just so he could see it.

"Cihpolakon means eagle. They are proud creatures, just as you are proud of your heritage. They are very good hunters, and they mate for life, just like wolves." It was hard to tell if she was being coy with him, or simply stating the fact because she was still petting Mihku, but all the same it made Alfred's heart jump. Sadly, it also brought Arthur to mind again.

He tried to hide a grimace as he thought, '_Goddamn double-edged sword_…'

Alfred tried to respond, but words had become hard to find with thoughts of both Cilahcili and Arthur swirling around in his head. Thankfully though, Matthew _was_ still there.

"I think it suits him," commented his cousin, who placed a hand on Alfred's shoulder as he grinned at the situation in general. Alfred had a feeling that Francis was going to hear about this and the Frenchman would never stop talking about love…

But the future torture was worth it because Cilahcili smiled again, and Alfred decided he would just stop thinking.

* * *

After that initial hunting trip, there were many more that followed, with and without Matthew. His Canadian cousin, it seemed, grew weary of the sport and felt the need to stay with Francis and keep him company. Alfred called him a woman; Matthew said he was doing him a favor.

Jones couldn't argue with that.

Cilahcili did seem to be growing attached to him, and it thrilled him that the more time he spent with her, the less he thought about Arthur. More often their hunts comprised of them talking than actually hunting. They had enough meant for the winter, what with Matthew salting everything, so they didn't really need to, though they didn't pass up an opportunity if it arose. It was more the want to be together than the need to hunt that brought them out.

Alfred learned that her parents had died when she was young and that Matthew's parents took her in and raised her as if she was Matthew's sister. As they talked, Cilahcili describing her various exploits, Alfred suddenly remembered that he had actually caught a glimpse of a younger Cilahcili when she had come to a family reunion years ago. He had been too eager to play with Matthew, that he had completely ignored her. She merely laughed upon him telling her this, stating that she would have probably just beaten him up anyway.

He told her about his life in England with greater detail than he had even told Matthew when asked. It was like she had to know, or he'd never be complete. The only thing he didn't mention was the affair with Arthur.

One day when they were sitting out in a meadow, watching the sun rise, Alfred discovered he didn't have to tell her.

"Cihpolakon, tell me more about this Kirkland man."

Instead of being nervous like he would have before, Alfred just smiled contently in his ease at being in her presence, and replied, "General Kirkland? Well, he's a man who goes for what he wants, whether his method is right or wrong. He is, overall, a good man I suppose. He's good to my sister and Audrey at least, so I don't think there's too much else I could ask of him. He's done so much for me since I moved to England."

She nodded as if that was all the information she required, and focused on the sun and its journey upwards.

"How much of your time in England was spent with Kirkland?"

Now that question made Alfred a little nervous.

"U-Um a lot, I guess. Why?"

A grin spread onto Cilahcili's face as she looked over at him, eyes shining with the tiniest bit of mischief.

"I was just wondering. You seemed determined to keep it from me that you had a relationship with that man."

Alfred felt his mouth drop as a bright blush formed across his face. How did she manage to figure out the one thing he didn't want her to know? Cilahcili just rolled her eyes, his smile growing more to be one of understanding.

"It's a personal thing. You have not even told Wapsq, and you two are like brothers. I understand, but if we are to do this courting thing right, you will have to, as Francis says, bear all to me." The first thought in Alfred's mind was that this was most certainly not what Francis meant by that, but agreed with her nonetheless, his mind still caught on one thing…

"C-Courtship?"

Cilahcili cocked her head at Alfred, as if confused. "Is that not what we have been doing this past moon? It is how Wapsq described it, and I agree."

Shaking his head, mentally vowing to get Matthew later, Alfred mumbled, "But why would you want me? You figured it out; I'm tainted. You could do so much better, Cilahcili…"

"How could I do better than the Cihpolakon I love?" Alfred felt his world crash to a halt at the single word escaping from her mouth, and he gaped at her openly, too astonished to do anything else. She just grinned at him and continued speaking as she pushed his chin up so his mouth closed. "You have loved a man, which makes no difference to me because you love me, now, and that is all that will ever matter."

Tears threaten to fall from Alfred's eyes, and he wished they wouldn't, but he couldn't help the vulnerability he was feeling at her piercing black gaze. Complete and utter acceptance for what he'd done. No second thoughts—as if she'd known all along that it was something like that that had been bothering him. An immense feeling of gratitude and love swelled up inside the American's chest and he leaned forward just a little and expressed himself by kissing her.

Kissing Cilahcili was different than kissing Arthur—it was also ten times better than how he remembered it being with the Englishman. It didn't last that long, but when it was done, Alfred was grinning just as wide as Cilahcili.

"See, that wasn't so hard, was it, Cihpolakon?"

Alfred just laughed before he kissed her again.

Matthew didn't question the closeness they seemed to emanate as they walked up to the house later. All he did was say bluntly, "About damn time."

The new couple just chuckled, Alfred more with embarrassment, as they entered the house to tell Francis the good news.

He'd only been back on the continent for three months at the most, and he already knew what was going to happen when the year was up. He was going to take Cilahcili back with him to England, announce her as his wife (because damnit, they would be married by then), give Audrey and her new sibling their presents, resign from the army, and then return to Canada, where Alfred would build them their own house a little ways away from Matthew's and maybe, just maybe, Alfred F. Jones would get his happily ever after.

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A/N: Was that what anyone wanted? I got some reviews that clearly wanted Alfred to have a HAPPY happy ending, and I don't disagree (wouldn't have written this otherwise).

Maliseet is a real tribe/language in Canada and in general Northern North America. The words I used were (hopefully correct).

Wapsq- polar bear  
Cilahcili- song of the robin  
Mihku- squirrel  
Cihpolakon- eagle  
(Nulla- gentle breeze, this was her horse's name, but it never came up...)

And if no one gets it, that one actual phrase Francis says is "The rest is history."

Baaaahhhh so is this good? It's taken me longer than I thought to churn this out (I've been working on it for the past couple days). I finished the alternate ending before this (it's really short), while this one kept growing! It's almost longer than the first three chapters combined! WHAT.

I liked having Matthew in it, he was fun, as was Francis. I like Cilahcili, do you? She's nice. Mihku is rad too. She's had him since he was a pup, by the way, little side fact that never came up in the chapter. As another note: Arthur and Allison's second baby is a boy they name Alan. THE A NAME'S ARE INVADING!

If this chapter seems weird, or off, I'm dreadfully sorry. I'm just so happy I finished it! I feel like the speech isn't as accurate (time-wise) as I would like it, but I honestly stopped caring at this point. I also went back and made Alfred a Lieutenant-Colonel instead of a Lieutenant. Someone made a point about that. I had been too lazy to look up ranks when I first wrote it, so I give myself the right to change it. :)

Opinions are greatly welcomed~ and I will upload the alternate ending (and last chapter I PROMISE) tomorrow~

REVIEW~!


	5. Chapter 5

The alternate ending, as promised~! There is character death, as it IS yet one other way the story could've gone. It starts off where Ch. 2 ended.

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The only reason Alfred had endured the week long torture of giving himself to the Captain was to protect his sister.

Then the bastard took that away too.

What was there for the colonial boy to live for now? He was dirtied, broken. He'd failed as a brother and a son. There was no purpose for him now.

Alfred lay in his bed, thinking, for a long time after he had returned to his bed. He was desperately trying to figure out what he should do. Telling his parents wouldn't do anything. They would have to marry Allison off to the damn man now, and they would only act awkwardly around him if they knew the full story. He had only begun thinking of girls in a sexual fashion—he didn't think he ever could again. Not after seeing what happened to his sister. Not after what the Captain did to him. That line of thinking left him with only one obvious answer.

A demented grin came over his face as he figured out exactly how he would accomplish his task.

He didn't get any sleep that night. Being awake was a nightmare in itself, so why sleep just to dream about it more vividly? He could still feel the Briton inside him. He could still feel those damned lips crushing his. He could still feel the horror that had flooded his body when he saw the Captain with his sister.

Therefore, since he couldn't sleep, he figured he could at least get started on his plan. Dressed only in his bed clothes, Alfred made his way from his room to his father's study—to his father's pistol.

* * *

All the following day, though it pained him, Alfred was overly civil and courteous to Captain Kirkland, even after he proposed to his sister, an event that shocked their parents only. If his plan was to work, the Captain had to believe he held no grudge against the Englishman.

The dinner that night was festive as they celebrated the newly engaged couple. They had invited a few neighbors over, and during all the commotion, Alfred managed to slip the Captain a note.

* * *

It was incredibly late when there finally came a knock upon the colonial boy's door. Kirkland peeked his head in, and the man grinned when he saw Alfred just sitting on his bed.

As he closed the door behind him, Kirkland mused, "I would've thought you would hate me, boy. I broke my word to you after all."

He didn't sound regretful, just thoughtful.

"I do hate you," said Alfred dully, his eyes never wavering from the green ones of the Captain. "I hate you so much that I called you in here to show you something."

A half-grin made its way onto Kirkland's face. "I'm afraid I've already seen everything you have to offer."

Sneering at the older man, Alfred growled, "I'm not offering you my body again, you bastard. I wanted to show you what happens when you decide you can play with other's lives."

Finally the Englishman seemed to be confused. He didn't say anything as he just watched the boy in return, unsure as to where the conversation was going.

The confusion on the Briton's face made Alfred smirk.

"When you play with other's feelings, their lives, you run the heavy risk of destroying them—not physically, but mentally." Alfred was glad to see he had the man's full attention. It made it easier to sneak the pistol out from under his pillow. "I called you here, Captain, not to satisfy you, but to satisfy myself by repaying you for stealing my future from me."

"Stealing your future?" repeated the Englishman, a scowl forming on his face.

"Yes, Captain Kirkland—you stole any hope from me that I would have a normal future, as you did my sister, and I'm about to show you how I'm going to repay you for that act."

Brandishing the pistol where the Briton could see it, Alfred clumsily pulled back the hammer. His father never really let him see, let alone hold the gun, and during the training sessions with the Captain they had mainly used rifles, not hand guns.

The Englishman's face paled as he eyed the gun, sure the bullet in there was meant for him as Alfred moved the pistol around in a sort of arc, the muzzle looking towards the Captain for a moment before the boy finally aimed it at his own head.

"Boy, I don't know what kind of sick joke you're playing, but—"

"This isn't a joke!" yelled Alfred, interrupting the Briton, who stopped in his attempt to get closer to him.

"Fine, it isn't, but that doesn't mean you know what you're doing, boy!" growled Kirkland, a near desperate tone to his voice.

Alfred's expression darkened. "I know exactly what I am doing, Captain. I'm afraid you don't seem to understand how serious I am."

"Alfred, I'm sure there is a better way to resolve any feelings you might have." It irked Alfred to hear the man say his name, but it was deeply satisfying to know that even the Englishman knew how bad it would be if he killed himself in front of the Briton.

"I really don't think there is, _Arthur_." Alfred gave the man before him an evil grin as he made sure the muzzle of the pistol was right at his temple.

Kirkland seemed like he was about to say something, but Alfred didn't hear anything except for a split second of the bang that came with pulling the trigger.

Silence.

When the colonial boy finally looked to where the Captain had been standing, it pleased him immensely to see the man laying on his stomach, blood slowly seeping from his head. Alfred didn't even care that he'd just killed a British officer. He just cared about the fact that he'd just gotten rid of the man who had hurt not only him, but also his sister.

Holding the gun tightly, even though it was slightly hot from just being fired, Alfred pulled the covers over him and began to doze. He knew people would soon enough start barging in, wondering what the hell had just happened, and then they would scream and yell at the sight of the Captain's rapidly cooling body—none of it mattered to Alfred.

He was finally free from that damnable man and, criminal or not, he could now move forward with his life.

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A/N: I had actually originally ended it with Alfred really killing himself, and the line before "Silence." was the final line. But then I was talking with the lovely reviewer, , and I realized that that wouldn't be right. Arthur needed to pay, and by changing that, I think more people will like this. :)

And you know what makes me laugh more than the fact that people love the way I write, but hate the OCs? That they apologize for their opinions. Come on guys, I was asking for them! It's okay to speak your mind, seriously. Good or bad, I'll take it like a man (heh, what?), and I'll never reject your criticisms. Authors can never get better if they reject things that could help them get better.

But anyway, this is the real end of Plead. No more. I'm off to brighter and better pastures. Want more USUK by me? I have a longer, unfinished chaptered fic by the title of "La Tortuga de Oro". I also write a lot of one-shots and stuff. I might start a new story soon based off one of them..

Reviews to tell me what you think~ (I love it, promise!)


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